Cooking Quest - Hidden Object and Simulation in one pot!
After the first and rather successful attempt to combine hidden object and simulation game play with cooking, Go-Go Gourmet, game developers decided to continue harvesting this fruitful land and released Cooking Quest - a new twist in this combination of genres unique by itself!
Foodville is the mecca for gourmets and cooks. This year you are invited to take part in its Restaurant Row Chef's Challenge - the Oscar for cooking professionals!
So, welcome, the contestants! Your task for the competition will be cooking a multi-course meal in each of the 6 restaurants representing 6 different cuisines of the world. And to amaze the critics with your artistry and service, of course!
That's what the game is about. But the most interesting here is not the story, but the game itself. As I already said, it combines hidden object and simulation game play. But I would say resource management is also an essential part of the game play, for you have a tight budget to fit into.
But let's start from the very beginning. So, the first restaurant you'll work in is Chop City Steakhouse (if you happen to come to Foodville, be sure to check their steaks ;), which will be followed by Mama Mariella's, Au Revoir La Faim, etc. In each place you'll have to cook a multi-course meal starting with selecting the best ingredients you can afford. Your budget for each meal is limited with $100, and that's not really much, as you'll notice soon. Be really thrifty with the money, for you'll need it, and sometimes desperately. Your cooking starts with selecting the necessary ingredients for each dish - be ready to play hidden object levels looking for 15 items on each of them. Make sure not to click randomly - you lose precious time and 10 dollars for each 3 wrong clicks. And that's much, believe me.
Actually, this levels are surprisingly challenging, for each hint you might wish to use will cost you $20 (remember you have just a hundred at the start?). And if you are not attentive enough, you'll have to replay the level, but your money won't be back. After completing a hidden object level you'll be offered a selection of food - choose the best you can afford, but remember you have to cook at least three courses and provide beverages to each meal. Surely, there is a way to earn some more money - just be fast enough and you'll get a bonus. But do not rely on that too hard, for it won't be too generous.
After you have found all the necessary items and purchased all the ingredients (if you run out of money, you can choose a free option - what about frozen chicken? - but don't expect a high estimation from critics in this case), the stage of cooking begins. You'll get minimal instructions for the first time, but if you are a freshman in this profession, you'll need all your intuition to figure out what to do. Lucky you are, if you got some money left - hints for $20 each are at your disposal.
And in the end of your hard work critics will estimate your overall performance, including the ingredients, the quality of cooking and the service.
Tip: remember you can always replay a stage to get better appraisal from the jury and more points.
On the whole, the idea of the game is really interesting, the game play addictive, the
graphics distinctive and realistic, and the food delicious. The most hard point here is managing the money wisely enough to distribute it for all your needs - it's a real challenge, but I'm sure none of you is afraid of those. So try your hand in the Cooking Quest - and be the winner!
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